Sri Lankan man jailed for killing disabled friend
September 9, 2015 05:03 pm
A Sri Lankan man has been jailed by a British court for killing his housebound friend by punching him in the head when he was in bed.
Arunasalam Arunothayan, 48, from Sri Lanka, died from a bleed to the brain following the attack in his Coventry home, police said.
Kirithas Sriskantharajah, 34, admitted manslaughter and was jailed for 32 months at Warwick Crown Court on Tuesday.
The victim’s wife said: “My husband was everything to me...I lost everything.”
Mr Arunothayan, known as Arun, suffered serious leg injuries in a car crash and lived with his wife above a shop on Foleshill Road.
Sriskantharajah, also a Sri Lankan national, of no fixed address, went to the flat with three others on March 4. The pair argued and Sriskantharajah punched his friend in the head.
Sometime later Mr Arunothayan complained of feeling ill and was taken to hospital, where he died of a subdural haematoma.
His wife, Suthayini Arunothayan, said: “I am devastated by the death of my husband Arun. He was taken from me too soon by no fault of his own.”
Det Insp Martin Slevin, said: “The death of Arunasalam Arunothayan at the hands of Kirithas Sriskantharajah was a needless and vicious act.
“The impact of his callous actions not only leaves behind a grieving widow, but has left a void in the lives of his family around the world.”
He thanked Coventry residents and the Sri Lankan community for helping with the investigation.
Source: BBC